The Race for Number Two : Hain’s Campaign
Yesterday’s request for co-conspirators to email Guido with titbits and gossip about the wannabee Number Twos produced an effluence of information, largely for some reason about Team Hain. Fascinating stuff, most of which you won’t find on Hain4Labour. On the campaign site his lengthy and detailed political biography neglects to mention that he was the president of the Young Liberals in 1977. Not a lot of policy positions either, beyond “I agree with Gordon” which he couples with the word “radical” repeatedly. However a co-conspirator has dug out the perma-tan’s policy views. In his book “The Democratic Alternative” he lists what a Hain administration would do in the first 100 days. It is heady stuff:“By the Monday, after polling, the new government should be launching the next phase: the first 100 days during which it must stamp a new approach on the nation. Exchange controls will need to be quickly imposed with new powers over foreign capital movements. All financial institutions and companies should be required to halt new investment overseas. The pension funds and other financial institutions should be required to purchase government stocks to fund a massive expansion of a rejuvenated National Enterprise Board. Immediate import controls should be imposed, pending full negotiations in the context of planned trade and planning agreements. Privatisation of British Telecom should be reversed…. price controls should also figure during these first 100 days… It is essential to involve the unions directly over decisions in all economic activities etc etc
State-controlled authoritarian socialism, unlilateral disarmanent with CND invited to takeover the Ministry of Defence, leaving NATO, government organised anti – American demonstrations, price-controls, it is all there. Hain aims to turn Britain into a rainy version of Cuba. Is this what he means by “radical”? Does Gordon know about this?
What will Ronnie Cohen do when they nationalise his private equity investments?
…to be continued.
